Dog Bites Aren't Always Aggressive: How This May Confusion A Dog Bite Case
Dog owners typically have a pretty good read of their dog's personality and understand how they are likely to act in many situations. However, a dog who suddenly bites a visitor may throw them for a loop and cause many complex issues. That's because canine aggression and the types of bites can vary wildly.
Dog Bites Can Vary
A suddenly benign dog biting a person can seem like an out-of-the-blue situation that may result in lawsuits. However, there are many different types of canine aggression that must be taken into account. First of all, all dogs have a natural protectiveness of their area and their pack or owners. As a result, somebody coming into this area is naturally scrutinized and treated like a potential threat.
If that person behaves in a way that the dog feels is threatening, they may bite them out of defensiveness. Likewise, some dogs may find that the person is not a threat and try to play with them. This individual, playing along, may end up getting bitten by an excited dog who is only trying to play bite. This situation becomes more complicated due to the various liability laws in each state.
Liability Varies By State
The toughest part of this kind of case is understanding the state's liability laws on dog bites. Most have slightly different ideas about what constitutes a potential lawsuit. For example, Alabama's liability codes state that an injury must occur on the person's property or after the dog chased the victim away from the property. By contrast, Arizona has laws on provocation, trespassing, and working with military or police dogs.
As a result, it is important to contact a lawyer who understands these laws and who can examine the case properly. In many cases, the owner is liable almost all of the time. However, others will place the blame on the victim if they provoked the dog in spite of the owner's warnings. The level and intensity of the bite may also be taken into account as the dog may not have caused much damage or may have been play biting.
Therefore, winning this type of case isn't always as easy as it may appear when a person starts. Typically, severe injuries are going to result in a higher chance of winning a case. That said, some may end up struggling if the judge believes that the dog was just playing and got a little too rambunctious.
Visit a site like https://www.lombardolawfirm.com for more information.
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